Less than 24 hours after Colorado’s Republican Party filed a formal complaint with the Federal Election Commission about the campaign practices of Democrat Perry Haney, the 6th Congressional District candidate said he’s withdrawing from the race.

In an interview prior to sending an email blast to supporters, Haney told The Denver Post that he’s been trying to get out of the race for weeks and that it’s not due to the GOP complaint.

“My medical practice just isn’t where it needs to be for me to be absent and campaign full-time,” said Haney, a Greenwood Village physician who announced his candidacy in December.

“It is not what I anticipated, but I cannot in good conscience risk my colleagues’ and staff employment and healthcare benefits while I pursue a run for Congress,” Haney said in the statement to supporters. “While I have no doubt that I could have ran a great race and changed the tone in Washington, the cost to my employees would have been too great.”

The Longmont Democrat had considered running in the Aurora-based 6th District.

“In truth, this was an easy decision,” Shaffer said in a statement. “My wife works at the school our children attend. I have represented this area in the State Senate for the past seven years. We have built many lasting, strong relationships in Northern Colorado.

“I’m not running for Congress just to seek political office; I’m running to represent the people. And the people I know best are those in Colorado’s 4th Congressional District.”

Rep. Mike Coffman, R-Aurora, raised almost $500,000 in the fourth quarter in his bid to keep his seat in the more competitive 6th Congressional District.

WASHINGTON — Republican Rep. Mike Coffman raised almost half a million dollars in the fourth quarter alone in his bid to win his much more competitive 6th Congressional district this fall and one of his Democrat opponents has thrown in $370,000 of his own cash to try and beat him, according to election filings for the end of 2011.

Coffman has almost $1 million cash on hand.

Democratic candidate Perry Haney, a physician, only raised about $16,000 in the fourth quarter. But records show he gave himself a large loan in his bid to win. He’ll run first against Joe Miklosi, a Democrat, in a primary. Miklosi raised $104,451.

In the large 3rd Congressional district, incumbent Rep. Scott Tipton, R-Cortez, was out-fundraised by his Democratic challenger Sal Pace. Pace raised $207,632 and Tipton raised $180,532 in the fourth quarter. Tipton has more cash on hand, though, at $510,000. Pace has $341,430.

Incumbents Rep. Cory Gardner, R-Yuma, and Rep. Ed Perlmutter, D-Jefferson County, both raised more than $200,000 in the fourth quarter and both have ample cash on hand.

Gardner faces a challenge with Democrat Brandon Shaffer, who raised $112,000 in the fourth quarter.

Perlmutter faces a GOP challenger Joe Coors, who has just filed this year, which means he has no 2011 fundraising totals.

Rep. Doug Lamborn, R-Colorado Springs, faces two opponents this year and raised only $58,000 in the fourth quarter. He has about $248,000 cash on hand.

Rep. Jared Polis, D-Boulder, raised only about $25,000 but his staffers say that’s because his son was born on the first day of the fourth quarter. He has about $165,000 cash on hand and raised $695,193 in all of 2011. Rep. Diana DeGette, D-Denver, is without an opponent so far and raised $141,733 in the fourth quarter with $166,866 cash on hand.

Both Democrat Sens. Michael Bennet and Mark Udall both raised some money, though they aren’t up again until 2016 and 2014 respectively. Bennet raised $190,575 for himself and another $108,671 for his Political Action Committee “Common Sense Colorado.” Udall raised $300,517 and has about $570,000 cash on hand.

U.S. Rep Mike Coffman sits outside a Denver courtroom before testifying in a redistricting lawsuit last October. His new congressional district has attracted at least four Democrats who are thinking of taking him on.

Senate President Brandon Shaffer and Senate Majority Leader John Morse are looking at running in the new Aurora-based 6th Congressional District.

That makes four Democrats so far interested in unseating U.S. Rep. Mike Coffman, R-Aurora. The other two, Rep. Joe Miklosi and physician Perry Haney, have officially announced.

Shaffer, of Longmont, is polling in the district, according to House Democrats. Morse, of Colorado Springs, said he is just considering his options.

“We need the best candidate we have who has the best chance of winning,” Morse said. “This is going to be one of the most competitive districts in the country. Doesn’t it make sense to have people who have been in tough races before?”

From left to right. Reps. Joe Miklosi, Sal Pace and Senate President Brandon Shaffer.

Between messages of entrepreneurship and civil unions, Gov. John Hickenlooper Thursday gave a nod to the four members of the state legislature waging bids for Congress this year.

“Unlike Washington, D.C., we have shown the rest of the country that Colorado is a place where things get done,” said Hickenlooper in his 39-minute state of the state address. “The U.S. Congress could learn a thing or two from this General Assembly. And I know a few of you are eager to move to Washington to prove it.”

Those eager to move on are Reps. Joe Miklosi, D-Denver, and Sal Pace, D-Pueblo, along with Sens. Kevin Lundberg, R-Berthoud, and Senate President Brandon Shaffer, D-Longmont.

Chris Hansen, right, and Rep. Cory Gardner, R-Yuma, sit together on the state capitol's steps. Hansen will leave Gardner's office to run Rep. Mike Coffman's re-election campaign in a newly competitive district.

WASHINGTON — Rep. Cory Gardner’s 29-year-old chief of staff Chris Hansen will leave the office to move to Colorado and run GOP Rep. Mike Coffman’s re-election campaign in his newly drawn, and much more competitive, district.

Hansen ran Gardner’s race in 2010 and then went on to be among the youngest chiefs of staff on Capitol Hill. Leaving Gardner’s office to help Coffman is a sign they feel comfortable with Gardner’s odds against Democrat Senate President Brandon Shaffer. Hansen says he’s leaving temporarily and plans to return to Gardner’s office after the election.

As the 4th quarter fundraising period comes to a close Saturday, politicians heading into 2012 are sending a barrage of emails and social media posts to possible donors in the hopes of cashing-in before the new year.

In a email to donors Rep. Dickey Lee Hullinghorst, D-Boulder, opens with the line “Let’s face it, we are all getting bombarded with political emails at the end of the year, asking for your last minute support in 2011.” This, of course, she notes is because of the heightened political implications of 2012. She then follows- up with “so I am sending you one more email–asking for your support before the end of 2011.”

An email from state Sen. Morgan Carroll, D-Aurora, asks donors to make contributions to Democratic colleagues in the legislature such as Mary Hodge, Evie Hudak, Andy Kerr and Linda Newell.

In a 30-minute span earlier today, 6th Congressional District candidate Perry Haney tweeted twice to his 51 followers, to help his campaign “make a strong showing for our 4th quarter fundraising deadline.”

All of the emails viewed came from Democrats, yet it’s certain there’s Republican emails floating around out there as well.

Dec. 31 is the final day candidates can receive fundraising dollars in the 4th quarter.

Lynn Bartels thinks politics is like sports but without the big salaries and protective cups. The Washington Post's "The Fix" blog has named her one of Colorado's best political reporters and tweeters.

Joey Bunch has been a reporter for 28 years, including the last 12 at The Denver Post. For various newspapers he has covered the environment, water issues, politics, civil rights, sports and the casino industry.